Self-locking partition assembly



July 11, 1967 E. H. THYEN SELF-LOCKING PARTITION ASSEMBLY Filed June 30,1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2

M/VE/VTOR. Eberhard H. Thyen ATTORNEY Fig.3

United States atent 3,339,464 Patented July 11, 1967 Free York

Filed June 30, 1965, Ser. No. 468,295 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-) Thisinvention relates to a reusable carton partition, and more particularly,relates to a self-locking partition assembly for bulk packing offrangible objects, such as glass covers or other ware articles whichrequire protection from injury during handling and shipment.

Presently known partition inserts consist of members having slots cutpartially through each member and the members are united by slotsengaging one another in the well-known manner. Such partitions aredifiicult to handle as a unit and are subject to accidental disassembly.Many other reusable carton spacers in use today must be returned in anerect condition for refilling this making efficient space savingimpossible. It is to overcome these disadvantages that the presentinvention is directed.

Basically this invention relates to a plurality of similar sheets in aspaced-apart parallel relationship having at least one locking slotformed therein. A locking key is inserted through a succession ofcoaxially aligned locking slots, and maintains the sheets in such spacedparallel relationship and maintains an array of sheets in a securelyjoined unified assembly. The carton partition as sembly thus formed maybe collapsed into a knockdown position, without disassembly forspace-saving return shipment when empty.

It thus has been an object of this invention to provide a partitionassembly which may be simply assembled and will remain securely joinedwith no danger of accidental disassembly.

Another object of this invention has been to provide a separator withinwhich objects may be securely fastened and separated from one another toprevent injury to said objects during transportation and storage.

A further object of this invention has been to provide a self-lockingpartition which may be readily collapsed into a knocked-down positionwithout disassembly for space-saving return shipment when empty.

An additional object of this invention has been to provide an economicalseparator for holding utensils and parts thereof.

A still further object of the present invention has been to provide arelatively simple and efficient arrangement of a carton partitionassembly which can be formed of corrugated paper or other lightweight,inexpensive materials.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will be apparent fromthe following description of presently preferred embodiments of theinvention, given for the purpose of disclosure, and taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, where like character references designatelike parts throughout the several views and where FIG. 1 is a plan viewof a locking key portion blank for use in a carton partition assembly ofthe invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a partition sheet blank for use in the assemblyof this invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a positioner portion blank for use in theassembly of this invention, such portion having handle receiving slotsformed therein.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the key portions partition sheets,and positioner portions in an assembled condition and also showing aware article cover inserted therein and having a handle secured in ahandle receiving slot.

Referring now to the drawings, a locking key portion 12 may be fashionedfrom any sheet material, such as double-faced corrugated board, havingtwo fiat sheets and a transversely pleated or corrugated sheetrelatively adhesively united. Any rigid or semi-rigid, such assinglefaced corrugated board, foam film, or semi-rigid film, such ascellulose acetate, and polystyrene, and the like may be used. Eachparticular object, commodity and use will dictate the kind of materialto be used.

Notches or slots 14 are cut inwardly from at least one lateral edge ofkey 12. The slots 14 are laterally separated a suitable distance toengage and secure positioner members 22 and divider pads 18 and tomaintain them in a desired spaced-apart, parallel relationship (FIG. 4).The slots may be so configured to give the lateral edges asemi-sinusoidal appearance as shown in FIG. 1. A longitudinal scoreline16 is formed in a longitudinal central portion of the key 12.

A divider pad, such as partition sheet 18 (FIG. 2), is formed of thesame material as portion 12. Key holes or sections 20 are formed in pad18, preferably adjacent each lateral end.

FIG. 3 illustrates a positioner member 22 having handle receivingpassages, such as grooves 24, formed inwardly from a lateral edge of themember 22. Key holes or sections 26 are preferably formed adjacent eachlateral end of the positioner 22.

FIG. 4 illustrates a carton partition assembly 28 with a ware articlecover 30 inserted therein. The partition 28 is assembled from lockingkey portions 12, divider pads 18, and positioner members 22.

In the process of assembling the partition 28, each locking key 12 isfolded along the scoreline 16 to form a dihedral angle and thus allow agreater width of material to enter the key sections 20 and 26. Aplurality of any combination and order of sheets 18 and members 22 arepositioned in a spaced-apart, parallel relationship. The sheets 18 andmembers 22 are positioned so that the key sections formed therein arealigned in coaxial registry with one another.

A locking key, which has been folded to form a dihedral angle, isslipped through the succession of key sections which are so coaxiallyaligned and is then unfolded into a flattened position again. Thedividers 18 and positioners 22 are so positioned that upon flatteningkey 12, portions of the said dividers and positioners surrounding thesections 20 and 26 move into and are held securely by the notches 14. Arigid assembly is thus provided with the dividers and positioners heldin a spaced-apart, parallel relationship.

It is apparent that the opening of each key section is sufiicientlylarge and of a suitable configuration to allow the passage therethroughof a locking key when it is folded in the form of a dihedral angle andalso to allow 7 the subsequent reflattening of the key into a lockingposition.

In an assembly using positioner members 22, the groove passages 24 areadapted to receive a handle portion of a ware article cover portion orthe like and thereby hold such cover in a fixed position, as shown inFIG. 4.

This invention thus provides a relatively simple and emcient arrangementof a carton partition assembly which can be formed from any suitabletype of foldable sheet material of a lightweight and inexpensive nature.The assembly is such that it may be returned in flat form to be usedwith the sheets 18 and members 22 in parallel relation upon one another,by angularly positioning the key portions 12 relative to sheets 18 andmembers 22 to form a collapsed trapezoidal shape. When set up, byreturning the device to a rectangular shape, the assembly 3 is solid andhas a rigidity suificient to withstand stresses applied during movement.

While the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to theembodiment and modifications have been shown, described and pointed out,it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions andchanges in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in itsoperation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, and it is not intended that such forms anddetails be limitations upon the scope of the invention except insofar asset forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A partition assembly comprising:

a plurality of partition sheets having at least one key section formedin each sheet;

a plurality of positioner members having passages formed therein andhaving at least one key section formed in each member;

a locking key portion having slots formed inwardly from at least onelateral edge thereof and having a longitudinal scoreline to foldablyform said locking key portion into a dihedral angle for insertionthrough a plurality of coaxially registered key sections; and

said locking key portion being refolded flat and the slots thereinsecuring an array of the partition sheets and the positioner members ina spaced-apart relationship.

2. A partition assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of keysections are formed in each such partition sheet and each suchpositioner member;

said partition sheets and positioner members being arranged with saidkey sections in a plurality of coaxial alignments, and

a locking key portion extending through each such coaxially aligned keysection to maintain the said sheets and members in spaced-apartrelationship.

3. A reusable partition assembly for bulk packaging of ware articlecovers having handles which comprises:

an array of divider pads having a plurality of key hole sections formedin each pad;

an array of positioner members having handle receiving passages formedtherein and having a plurality of key hole sections formed in eachmember;

a plurality of key portions each having slots cut inwardly from at leastone lateral edge;

a longitudinal scoreline formed along said key portion for foldableinsertion through a plurality of coaxially aligned key hole sections,and

the slots of said key portion engage the array of pads and members andsecure them in a spaced-apart parallel relationship.

4. In combination with a plurality of ware article cover portions havingat least one handle portion, a partition assembly for maintaining thecover portions securely fastened and separated from one another, saidpartition assembly comprising:

an array of positioner members having handle receiving grooves formedinwardly from a lateral edge thereof and having key sections formedadjacent each lateral end;

an array of divider pads having key sections formed adjacent eachlateral end thereof;

a plurality of key portions each having notches formed inwardly from atleast one lateral edge and having a longitudinal scoreline for foldingkey portion to form dihedral angle for insertion through a plurality ofcoaxially aligned key sections in alternately arranged members and pads,said notches operatively engaging said alternately arranged members andpads to maintain them in spaced-apart, parallel relationship.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,498,785 6/1924 Coyle 217-331,754,541 4/1930 Benoit 217-33 1,978,719 10/1934 Parnin 21732 2,489,52811/ 1949 Goldstein 229-15 2,736,138 2/1956 Battery 22915 2,925,209 2/1960 Wasyluka 229-45 FOREIGN PATENTS 802,468 10/ 1958 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Examiner.

1. A PARTITION ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF PARTITION SHEETSHAVING AT LEAST ONE KEY SECTION FORMED IN EACH SHEET; A PLURALITY OFPOSITIONER MEMBERS HAVING PASSAGES FORMED THEREIN AND HAVING AT LEASTONE KEY SECTION FORMED IN EACH MEMBER; A LOCKING KEY PORTION HAVINGSLOTS FORMED INWARDLY FROM AT LEAST ONE LATERAL EDGE THEREOF AND HAVINGA LONGITUDINAL SCORELINE TO FOLDABLY FORM SAID LOCKING KEY PORTION INTOA DIHEDRAL ANGLE FOR INSERTION THROUGH A PLURALITY OF COAXIALLYREGISTERED KEY SECTIONS; AND SAID LOCKING KEY PORTION BEING REFOLDEDFLAT AND THE SLOTS THEREIN SECURING AN ARRAY OF THE PARTITION SHEETS ANDTHE POSITIONER MEMBERS IN A SPACED-PART RELATIONSHIP.